The Quality of Stitching

Whilst amidst the chaos of the shop floor, it is not uncommon for many shoppers to overlook small details on the clothing they are purchasing. After all, we tend to notice the quality, texture and accessories that every garment possesses such as the type of buttons used, the thickness of the material and the likely durability. On the other hand, one rather subtle yet just as important aspect is often overlooked and that is stitching. This is the one component that keeps the article of clothing held together and the quality of this can make or break an item. Read on to find out why stitching holds such an importance…

The properties

In order to be able to understand why stitching is such an important aspect of clothing manufacturing, you have to know what you are looking for. Looking at and analysing the stitching in garments should take into consideration the stitches per inch, the strength of the seam, how consistent they are and finally how much tension they hold as each one is different depending on the material used and thus influences the overall product quality.

The measurements

From a consumer point of view, it can be difficult to tell a bad stich from a good stich however by addressing these four aspects you can learn to do it quite easily. The SPI of a garment refers to how many stitches have been placed into the product per inch. Generally, the higher SPI a piece of clothing has, the better quality the stitch work is and this is known as a high stitch density. If you spot clothing that has a low SPI it tends to suggest that the product is less durable. Whilst not as immediately obvious the stitch width, stitch depth and stitch consistency are also vital aspects that make up the overall quality of the stitch work as the width and depth allow a row of stitches to be uniform and precise. In fact, you could even consider them a part of stitch consistency, which highlights how regular each stitch in a piece of clothing is. In high quality and luxury clothing stitch consistency is something that is held in high regard since a mistake can cause a seam weakness. Tension is the final part of the puzzle when it comes to creating the perfect row of stitches. Too much can create puckering, uneven stitches and a lack of balance, whereas too little can result in looping and a loose weak garment. By taking tension that the threads have formed into consideration, stitches can be created to an incredibly high quality.

Strength

One thing that we all look for in clothing is the strength that it possesses however few too many people know that this quality lies within the stitch work. In fact, the force that the stitch can hold before breaking can be calculated using a formula. For example, working out the strength of a lockstitch involves the following equation: STI x thread strength (lbs) x 1.5 = seam strength (lbs). The strength of seam that is required often depends on the type of garment that is being manufactured.

When it comes to creating a piece of fashion from scratch, the material, fabric and design process are not the only considerations that hold a significant importance. After all, stitches are not there to hold the material in place; they provide structure, strength, flexibility and can even impact the durability of the product. Here at 2forjoy we take great pride in the quality of goods that we produce which is why we express our slow fashion ethos through every single aspect, including the stitch work. After all, a piece of clothing could be created using the finest of materials and the stitches could be its downfall! To find out more information, speak to a member of the 2forjoy team today.